Lighting fixture



y 1, 1965 c. E. RACKLEY 3,182,768

LIGHTING FIXTURE Filed July 18, 1960 INVENTOR Corle E.Rockley.

ATTORNEY United States Patent "ice 3,182,768 LIGHTING FIX Carle E. Rackley, Westlake,0hio, assignor to Westinghouse Electric Corporation, East Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed July 18, 1960, Ser. No. 43,583 4 Claims. (Cl. 18936) This invention relates to improvements in lighting fixtures and in particular pertains to an improved alignment structure for recessed lighting troifer housings so as to provide for a structurally improved and more attractive appearing installation.

It is well known that when flange type trofler housings are recessed in the ceiling in continuous rows, a great deal of difliculty often occurs when trying to align each adjacent unit properly so as to achieve a uniformly neatappearing and functional assembly of the lighting fixtures. This difiiculty is primarily the result of the uneven edges along the ceiling opening, which receives the housings. Also, attempting to align one troifer housing with another by eye alone is not only time consuming but also includes the element of human error.

It has been found in the type of troifer housing which has ceiling flanges that a relatively simple device, which is easy to install and requires the use of no tools or auxiliary equipment such as screws, nails, nuts and bolts, or the like, can be used effectively for alignment purposes. It has also been found that the single, one-piece aligning member of this invention can solve at least two alignment problems common in the mounting of such troifers or housings. That is, this device can provide for alignment both in the vertical direction and along a horizontal straight line or row so as to present a lateral straight line arrangement.

Accordingly, it is the primary object of this invention to provide a novel and eflicient aligning member which in one operation can align adjacent housing units both vertically and along a horizontal, straight line so as to present a lateral straight line arrangement.

Another object of theinvention is to provide an al1gning member which is of a one-piece construction needing no additional parts for its operation.

An object of the invention is also to provide an aligning member which ordinarily requires no tools to install it in housing assemblies.

A further'object is to provide a housing flange of such structure as to mate with the aligning member of the invention and cooperate therewith so as to provide for alignment of adjacent similar types of units with an ease heretofore unknown in the art.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide an aligning member which is essentially a fiat piece of rigid material shaped such that there is a projecting end on its opposite sides and a raised portion in the center thereof serving as a positive stop when the aligner is driven into the ceiling flange of the trotfer housings.

Another specific object of the invention is to provide notch portions on the top side of bead-like ceiling flanges of troffer housings in such a manner as to cooperate with the insertion of the aligning member and also serve as part of a positive stop so that the aligning member cannot be 3,182,768 Patented 'May I 1, 1965 adjacent troffer housings and an aligning member secured therebetween;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the adjacent trotfer housings of FIG. 2, showing the aligning member and taken along the reference line IIIIII of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a partially exploded, isometric view of the aligning member mounted in the ceiling flange of one housing with the ceiling flange of the adjacent housing about to be assembled thereto.

Referring now to the drawing, there is shown in FIG. 1 a typical troffer housing 10 having a ballast channel 12 for containing the electrical control elements. Surfaces 14 and 16 of the housing 10 have been treated so as to be opaque and reflective in character. Extending laterally outwardly from the bottom of the side reflective surface 16 are angularly positioned surfaces 18, which serve to mount the trolfer housing 10 in the ceiling 22. An aligning member 30, described hereinafter, is fitted in a ceiling flange portion 20 joined to the vertical one of the surfaces 18 of the housing 10. A light transmitting refractor panel 26 is supported within the trolfer housing 10 by means of a right angular frame member 24 fastened to the last-mentioned surface 18.

The housing 10 is made preferably of a resilient sheet metal material so that a rolled bead portion 40 of the ceiling flange 20 is springable in order to allow the aligning member 30 to be forcibly slipped under the top edge 28 of the ceiling flange 20. The top edge 28 of the hollow bead 40 firmly rests upon the base surface of the ceiling flange 20 when the aligning member is not inserted therein, in the manner illustrated at the reference characters 29 in FIG. 3.

The aligning member 30, preferably made of a metal such as sheet steel or its equivalent, comprises a substantially rectangular base portion 32 having gradually tapered end projections 34 extending outwardly from each side thereof adjacent one of its ends. The center portion of the base 32 has a stop element 36 punched upwardly therefrom and formed by stretching of the material of the aligning member 30 so as to fit neatly within notched out sections 42 at the ends of the ceiling flanges 2 0 of each of the housings It].

A mid region, indicated generally by the reference character 43, between the tapering projections 34 of the align ing member 30, as can be seen best in FIGS. 2 and 4, fits snugly against the inside edge of the head 40. Each projection 34 has tapered edges 38 and 39 which converge at the outer end of the projection. This serves to provide a wedge fit for the projections 34 in the ceiling flanges 29.. The wedging action of the tapered edges 38 and 39 makes it relatively easy to insert these projections into the hollow bead portions 40 and under their respective top edges 28 in order to maintain horizontal single line adjustment of adjacent trolfer housings.

The stop element 36 and the notched portions 42 cooperate so as to exactly position the aligning member 30 with respect to adjacent ceiling flanges 20 so as to provide a closely fitting joint 44 between adjacent housing units. The notched portions 42 serve also as part of a positive stop so that the aligning member 30 cannot be driven too far into the flange 20. a As a result the aligning member 30 is substantially centered in this example, relative to the joint 44.

It can thus readily be seen from the top plan view of FIG. 2 that the aligning member30 provides for a horizontal straight line alignment of adjacent troflfer housings l0 and from the elevational view of FIG. 3 that the same aligning member in cooperation with the ceiling flange 20 provides also for an exact vertical alignment of adjacent trofler housing units. The housings 10 are assembled in this fashion by inserting one of the projections 34 of the aligning member 30 into the ceiling flange 20 of a first housing, as seen in FIG. 4, and then moving a second housings ceiling flange 20 into engagement with the free projection 34 of the aligning member 30. Since the ceiling flange portions 31 and 40 are of a resilient spring-like material a tight frictional fit between the aligning member 30 and respective flanges 20 will occur to hold these components in a fixed, accurate, cooperative relationship with one another.

From the foregoing it is apparent that the disclosed aligning member is a novel and efficient structure for providing horizontal and vertical alignment of troifer housings which frequently are recessed in a ceiling in continuous rows. The unique cooperation of the aligning member with notched, beaded, ceiling flanges of the troffer housings provides for an especially quickly assembled organization. Although the aligning member is recited in a specific combination with flange type troffers, it should be understood that this embodiment of the invention is exemplary only and that the principles of this invention can equally well be used in similar but differing embodiments for aligning other types of devices and equipment where a bead-like or similar type flange is presented.

Consequently, numerous modifications of the invention will occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Moreover, it is to be understood that certain features of the invention can be employed without a corresponding use of other features. Again, while the embodiments of the present invention disclosed herein constitute a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adapted all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

Accordingly, what is claimed as new is:

l. A plurality of adjacent troffers, each troffer having a housing with resilient flanges along the lateral edges thereof, each said flange having a bottom portion and a rolled top portion with the latter (presenting the top edge thereof spring-biased against said bottom portion, at least one one-piece generally planar aligning member comprising a substantially rectangular body portion having tapering wedge-like projections at one end, each said aligning member having its projections frictionally engaged between said bottom and top portions of said flanges of adjacent housings so as to align abutting troifers in a straight line.

2. A plurality of adjacent troifers, each troifer having a housing with resilient flanges along the lateral edges thereof, each said flange having a bottom portion and a rolled top portion with the latter presenting the top edge thereof spring-biased against said bottom portion, at least one one-piece generally planar aligning member compris: ing a substantially rectangular body portion having tapering wedge-like projections at one end, each said aligning member having its projections friction-ally engaged between said bottom and top portions of said flanges of adjacent housings so as to align abutting troffers in a straight line, and stop means located substantially in the center of the aligning member for cooperation with said flanges so that insertion of said aligning member into said flanges is limited.

3. A plurality of adjacent troffers, each troffer having a housing with resilient flanges along the lateral edges thereof, each said flange having a bottom portion and a rolled top portion with the latter presenting the top edge thereof spring-biased against said bottom portion, notches at the ends of said top portions of each said flange, at least one one-piece generally planar aligning member cornprising a substantially rectangular body portion having tapering wedge-like projections at one end, stop means integral with said aligning member and mating with said notches for limiting insertion of each said aligning mem her into said flanges, said aligning member having its projections frictionally engaged between said bottom and top portions of said flanges of adjacent housings so as toalign abutting troflers and in a straight line.

4. A plurality of adjacent troffers, each troffer having a housing with resilient flanges along the lateral edges thereof, each said flange having a bottom portion and a rolled top portion with the latter presenting the top edge thereof spring-biased against said bottom portion, at least one one-piece generally planar aligning member comprising a substantially rectangular body portion having tapering wed ge-like projections at one end, a stop element integrally formed substantially in the center of said body portion, said stop element fitting within adjoining notches formed in the ends of said top portions of adjacent housing flanges so that insertion of each said aligning member into said flanges is limited, each said aligning member having its projections frictionally engaged between said bottom and top portions of said flanges of adjacent housings so as to align abutting troifers in a straight line.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 825,069 7/06 Peirce 287-127 X 1,250,594 12/17 Knapp 189-85 2,304,126 12/42 Skeel 189-36 2,386,887 10/45 Eckel Q. 189-35 2,462,199 2/49 Kehoe et 189-36 2,873,828 2/59 Zitorner 240-9 X 2,934,184 4/60 Moser 189-36 JACOB L. NACKENOFF, Primary Examiner. CORNELIUS D. ANGEL, JOSEPH D. BEIN, Examiners. 

1. A PLURALITY OF ADJACENT TROFFERS, EACH TROFFER HAVING A HOUSING WITH RESILIENT FLANGES ALONG THE LATERAL EDGES THEREOF, EACH SAID FLANGE HAVING A BOTTOM PORTION AND A ROLLED TOP PORTION WITH THE LATTER PRESENTING THE TOP EDGE THEREOF SPRING-BIASED AGAINST SAID TOP PORTION, AT LEAST ONE ONE-PIECE GENERALLY PLANAR ALIGNING MEMBER COMPRISING A SUBSTANTIALLY RECTANGULAR BODY PORTION HAVING TAPERING WEDGE-LIKE PROJECTIONS AT ONE END, EACH SAID ALIGNING MEMBER HAVING ITS PROJECTION FRICTIONALLY ENGAGED BETWEEN SAID BOTTOM AND TOP PORTION OF SAID FLANGES OF 